Tales of Wine&Blood
by Brutus Grapeflame
Summary: The tale of a brave young man called Brutus Grapeflame. Who will become dragonborn in future years to be, This is the tale of his adventures before his arrival in skyrim. Of his adventured in cyrodill with the fighter's guild.


**Tales of wine & blood**

Note: The "tales of wine and blood" is the collection of many adventures of a man called Brutus. A young imperial man who was born in 4E 180, the stories are set during a period of two years. Between the year 4E 198 until the year 4E this period of time a young man by the name Brutus is moving away from his hometown Bruma, where he trained for years to become a soldier. Now moving to the city called Chorrol, Where he is to join with the fighter's guild and to test himself in the great dangers of the wildlife of Cyrodill, to live the life of an adventurer, And to be on his own for the first time in his life.

Between the ages of 18 to 20 Brutus will truly learn for the first time in his life how harsh the world can really be. And that was before he eventually found himself having the exact same experience in the land of skyrim. But that is a tale for another day.

These are the tales of blood and wine, of adventures of a young mercenary in the Imperial province.

P.S- Every story is a short story, the Tales of wine & Blood series is the series that holds all these stories on a timeline, same character for every chapter and set in cyrodill.

 **The pig contest of Chorrol**

"Ugh, do I have to participate?" asked a boy who came to the pig festival with his mother.  
"Of course silly, you want to make a good impression on the fighter's guild don't you?" his mother replied.

It was that time of the year again. And Brutus just arrived in town, he and a dozen men and children were to take place in the great pig hunt of Chorrol. Each year on the 3rd of sun's dawn all the able men came to the eastern gate of the town to hear the rules again, as every year old man Cestus reminds them all of the rules, and prizes.

"Gather round, oh gather round men! And let us be done with this." He screamed. "Today the 3rd of sun's dawn we celebrate yet again, with the bravest of men and toughest boars and pigs out there! You all know the rules… and yet it's still my duty to announce them."  
Brutus was standing in the crowd, watching as the old man struggled to speak as loud as he did." The rules of the 143th pig hunt! "Brutus hoped that he would just finish already and announce this year's prize. "Rule number one: nun shall hurt another man or women, only dangerous beasts and the pigs of course. Rule number two: all must hunt with either a weapon of their possession or a physical object, magic is strictly forbidden and all the corpses that will be submitted to the counts butchers will be checked for magic marks. A man caught using magic will be out of this year's contest! And rule number three: you must gather all the pigs that you have hunted until dusk."  
The townsfolk were anxious to begin. They all knew the rules since they were little children, and even back then old man cestus the sheep hoarder announced the rules.  
"As for this year's prize" announced cestus who all the sudden grinned a small smile to himself.  
"This year's prize the count has decided to gift the finest Steed in his Stables. A fine strong grey steed from high rock called Wind!"  
The men were shouting now, the ladies were betting who would win and the children were asked not to participate this year, perhaps the boars were dangerous that year…  
"The contest begins… now! Go men! Go with glory and may the best hunter win!" Old cestus finished and went back straight home for his nap time.

As all the men ran into the forest with their bows and Clubs Brutus seemed to take his time. He marched slowly into the woods outside Chorrol with his old hunting bow and about 20 arrows in his quiver. For a while he just walked and ate an apple and enjoyed the silence and the beauty of the forest. He did not want to hunt on an empty stomach, besides he knew that the key to hunting is patience, that's what the commander back home taught him.  
For the next half hour nothing happened. Brutus sat on a tree stump with a bow in his hand and an arrow in the other. Waiting, listening as the wind blew and the leaves danced to it.  
And then he came, a pig as fat as a barrel. He was about six trees away from Brutus. Who spotted him the moment he entered his line of sight." Hello to you to my good friend" he whispered. He aimed his bow at the pig and drew the string back; the arrow was ready now.

The arrow flew like a bird towards the pig's neck, piercing through his neck like knife cutting butter. The pig bled to death so fast. Moments after the arrow killed him most of the blood stopped coming out. And Brutus could finally put the pig in the sack and drag it to the count's butcher's, who were waiting for hunters with pigs.  
After a while Brutus finally delivered the pig to the butcher's, who looked surprisingly happy at Brutus dragging the huge sack with the pig's body in it.  
When Brutus arrived at the butcher's table, one of the butchers took an axe and chopped off a leg –

From the pig's corpse, he then gave it to Brutus and said" That's yours boy, don't lose it. Or I won't count that as your pig."  
Brutus then came back to the forest. And for most of the day strolled and traveled the woods south to Chorrol, he killed two other pigs and took them back to the butcher in Chorrol. That took him most of the day.

Brutus decided it was enough, and made his way towards the city. On his way back he noticed a woman on a tree. The woman was sitting on a large bench not that far from the ground, not too high either.  
As he was approaching he then heard something. He turned and saw the most disgusting, fat, ugliest pig that he has ever seen in his life. "Do me a favor and kill the creature!" the woman screamed.  
Brutus quickly drew his trusty iron sword and circled the pig. The pig, which was certainly not the brightest pig, did not move. He looked Brutus in the eyes. The look on the pigs face almost screamed for mercy. If only Brutus wasn't a fine hunter with a tendency for pig meat and fine game, poor piggy didn't stand a chance.  
Brutus charged at the pig, thrusting his blade, he managed to cut open a deadly wound in the pig's leg.  
He tried to flee. But Brutus delivered the last blow with a swift stab to the pigs back.

The woman came down from the tree. "Thank the divines you were here traveler! I don't know how long that pesky creature would have stayed here."  
She was a small woman. The size of a Breton, perhaps she was one. Her golden curls where as stunning as goldbrand, and her face were pleasant and nice to look at, a true beauty that one.  
"Glad I was here to help milady. But why where you traveling these woods alone? They could be dangerous… lucky for you many hunters stalk the woods today."  
"oh... well I had no other way to get to Chorrol, I need to get there for my aunt. She needs my help with a… delicate matter."  
Brutus liked her voice, and that was enough to awaken the gentleman inside of him" You know I was just on my way to Chorrol. You wouldn't be looking for an escort to the town wouldn't you?"  
The lady smiled. and replied" Why thank you kind traveler!"  
He smiled back. And as he took the pig along with them, dragging the body in the big sack they both walked back to town.  
"I didn't get your name …" the woman said.  
"I am Brutus, of house Grapeflame."  
The woman observed him with a cautious look, almost testing him if he is lying to her.  
"Well Brutus Grapeflame. You certainly don't look like a Breton for me, yet your last-  
name seems to suggest otherwise"  
"We are a small imperial branch of the much bigger house of Grapeflame, A house of traders who sold many artifacts from the oblivion crisis and made a fortune. My grandfather married an imperial baroness called lady Bradus. And thus the imperial branch of the Grapeflame house was created. Milady, may I ask if are familiar with the nobility of cyrodill?"  
She replied  
"Well, as a child. My mother used to tell me stories before I went to bed. And they were always about those noble houses from the provinces of the empire, the names always were  
"Grapeflame", or" Stonehill" etcetera. So I figured you for a noble"

Brutus was many things, yet noble was not one of those things. His father oretheius, him and his older brother martin lived in a well-built manor in Bruma, a better house then most of the houses in Bruma, but not a mansion. They always had money due to Brutus's father being a wealthy painter working for count's all over cyrodill. He always got paid well.

"Well. Know that we are not nobles. The only thing we have to our name is our house, and our name itself. My father is a painter who works for many counts. Me and my brother were never really into that kind of things, we both went into combat training and fighting strategies"  
The lady looked straight at him. Almost into his soul, she was intrigued by his stories. They began to talk as they were making the way back to Chorrol.  
The lady started to talk about what she did during her childhood and where she lived with her mother. Brutus was charmed, a woman of Breton descent, looks just his age… father would have married them in a second, Brutus never liked that approach, and neither did martin.  
They both loved their father deeply. Brutus's mother died when he was 4 years old. A rather deadly case of ataxia caught her when she was wondering in the woods looking for herbs. When she got back from the herbalist trip three days later, she was already feeling bad.  
Martin's mother died giving childbirth. So oretheius was a little more than just a father, he was the mother to.

"After that I've been with the traders guild ever since. Apparently I'm just good with the counting and supply checks then the rest of them." She finished. They were getting closer now, and just in time to.  
The sun was setting. A feeling always got to Brutus during Dusk. Especially during patrols and when he was out in the woods, a warm feeling. Suddenly he would smell all the flowers at once, and all the smells would remind him of home. He could look at the trees, waving their leaves almost saying "Goodnight" to him.  
" The entire world" he thought. "Shutting for a couple of hours… it's pretty incredible."  
They continued to talk as they were approaching the eastern gates. He was now sweating from carrying around the sack filled with the pigs disgusting carcass. She was as beautiful as before,  
her Golden curls almost looking like silk, her dress a little dusty from all the traveling.

The only thing Brutus wanted now is to win the damn horse. And get a room in a local inn. Perhaps he will see this woman in town? Perhaps she will leave soon. All he wanted now  
was to just get the pig to the butchers and to get him a bed somewhere.  
They were approaching the city walls. The lady suddenly fell to the ground. Brutus came to help her get up. But as he ducked to help her rise she kicked his jaw, Brutus was now on the ground himself. Before he could realize what happens she took his small bag of pig feet, and shouted at him" Thanks for the prize fool!"  
She escaped quickly out of his range, nowhere to be seen.  
Dizzy from the kick Brutus was still on the ground. He checked that all his stuff where on him. It was all there, the sword, septims, clothes, and his bow and quiver. The only thing that was missing was all the other pig legs.  
"Damn that woman! To oblivion with that fucking Breton! I better find her. She must have gone to the eastern gate for the announcement of the winner"  
Poor Brutus was merely not in the mood, tired from his long day of hunting. Being both hungry and tired was never good for anyone. And Brutus was off to the eastern entrance to the town.

By the time he got there the sun already disappeared from the sky. It was dark now and if not for the town guards torches he wouldn't have a clue how to get back to the city.  
When he stepped out of the forest he saw the crowd, He was looking at old man cestus. Who was just recently awakened from his sleep:  
"It was time" he thought, understanding that he just lost a strong stallion.  
Old man cestus climbed the balcony. He was ready to announce the counting.

"Ladies and gentlemen, brave hunters of the forest. I am happy to announce that the 143th pig hunt is officially over!" he said. Old man cestus was clearly tired. The entire crowd had been silent and still could barely hear his voice.  
"This year, the count promised to deliver a fine stallion to whoever brings him the most pigs by the end of the day, this year's winner caught more than 6 pigs. Being the highest number of pigs given at any time since years, and today as well, I would like to welcome the winner. Lady Lysara of the fighter's guild, come here young lady, collect your prize!  
And then Brutus saw her. Those golden curls Shining in the torchlight. She wore a hunter's clothes, made for women it seems, a long bow on her back, a knife in her belt, and a wicked smile on her face. She must have been very impressed with herself. When she came up to the small wooden stage she was congratulated by Cestus, the crowd clapped and whistled to her name. At least the townsfolk, the other hunters gave her a grumpy look.  
Brutus stormed away into the city. Opening his small bag of septims he looked for some money in there. He had only 38 septims, enough for a room and a small loaf of bread.  
He walked into town. The first thing he saw was the statue of Chorrol, the darkness clouded the entire city and Brutus only saw shades and things that were close to him.  
He saw a small wooden sign on a cabin next to the gate. The sign said "The grey mare"  
"How funny… I just lost a grey mare" he thought. As he headed in he found the place to be swarming with drunken hunters and wenches. The barkeep was cleaning a mug.  
"Good evening sir, how much for your cheapest bed?" He said trying to be as polite as possible.  
"Ah another hunter? Oh just what I needed. Give me 20 septims and I will give you the only remaining bed". Brutus agreed and went to his room. He spent time in his room for the night and only wanted to take a nap. Maybe this will clear his mind. After all he did have an awful day. And perhaps he will find the golden haired girl tomorrow, "unless she will use the mare and flee… But didn't old man cestus announce her name? What was it?" he wondered about the girl for a couple of more minutes. "Was she just chilling on that tree while the pig came out of nowhere? Was she really in distress? By Akatosh I am the greatest fool to ever live… "

He couldn't accept that. How did she manage to deceive him? It was unacceptable.  
If there's something Brutus loathed. It was people who cheated and deceived.  
Traders who stole money from customers who bought all their trash, count's making reasons up why all the townsfolk must pay more taxes. Justice is a virtue of his. That much can be said.  
Brutus did not fall to sleep just yet; he unpacked his trusty old white fur backpack and pulled things out and inside. Got undressed and changed from his traveling leather armor to green trousers made out of silk, he wore a white shirt and his old walking shoes. This outfit and his leather armor started to decline. Ever since he started to travel between cities this were his only clothes. And it has been a while since he had more than a few septims. He needed a job to pay for his "Great travels".  
Brutus sat on his bed, looked at the small mirror in his room. He saw a tired young man who perhaps made a mistake. After all he didn't have to leave home… he just had to prove himself didn't he?  
Brutus was a young man. By the age of 14 he was already famous in his city, his father a famous painter, his brother a legend in the city watch, and him? The first fourteen years old to take a sword and march with friends along the orange road. What happened to that ambitious young guy? Perhaps he was just tired.  
Brutus had a short hair, (what you call a" Roman haircut"), a very popular haircut in the empire. Green eyes that looked like jade stones, those eyes often saved him from many troubles and earned him many "Happy nights" with the girls back home, his height was average, and he recently started to grow a small beard, but he still shaved it at times, for growth.  
His skin whiter than most imperials, then again he is from Bruma. These guys barely get any son at all.

After he realized that he was tired, Brutus sat on the bed and tried to get some rest, but to no avail.  
He tried to forget about the Breton lady from today's contest. He just couldn't accept that a cheating vile woman took his prize. When he met her she looked so innocent, so fragile, and kind. Now she seemed evil. A punishment given to him by the daedric princes of oblivion it seems.  
He was furious, his anger kept him from sleeping. Brutus needed a drink.  
He dressed and got out of his room. Heading down to the barkeep for a drink to sooth his temper, yet he found no barkeep. They were all sleeping. The barkeep, the hunters, and even the maids, who slept on the laps of hunters, some even slept on the floor.  
Brutus headed out of the inn. He went for a walk outside the city walls. Perhaps this will calm his temper.  
As Brutus walked outside the walls he couldn't stop thinking about the contest. "Perhaps I should not think about it, better I just find some job here so I could feed myself… perhaps the count would accept me  
as a hunter for his service?, perhaps I will try to get in with the fighter's guild. I am sure they need an extra sword."  
While thinking about his next job. He stumbled upon the stables. The horses were sleeping and the stable boy was nowhere to be found, and then he saw him. "By Akatosh she didn't leave!" he whispered to the mare. It was the mare the Breton woman stole from him earlier; the horse looked like he was tired from a hard day of riding. "Well horse, what shall I do with you? Set you free? After all she did win you… and I'm no lawbreaker, yet I can set you free if that suits you. What do you say?"  
The horse gave Brutus a tired look; he turned his head down and ate some of his hay.  
"To oblivion with it horse! I am setting you free! If I won't have you, I'd rather no one will!  
Brutus opened the wooden gate. The horse was now free. Only he didn't move.  
The horse flinched from Brutus, and came back to sleep. Brutus tried to wake him up by whispering as hard as he could, but the horse kept on sleeping. "Stupid horse, you did this to yourself."  
Brutus walked back into town and sneaked into his room. He lifted his sword and wrapped it with some cloth he found inside the room. He then hid the sword under his clothes and sneaked back out of the inn.  
He got out of the inn. And walked towards the gate, the guard posted at the gate did not like to open it more than twice a night. He approached Brutus "Is there a problem citizen?" Brutus tried to remain calm, and told him that a septim slipped from his pocket outside the walls. "Fine, you may leave. But please do not make me open the gate more than twice again; guard duty is difficult, especially night shifts."  
Brutus agreed and quickly stepped outside the city gates. He walked back to the stables where the horse was still sleeping. "I'm sorry horse. May Akatosh forgive me"  
Brutus unfolded the cloth and revealed the sword. It was an iron longsword, a little old and used. But still sharp enough for killing.  
Brutus poked the horse with the sword, at first horse only woke up. The second time he poked at him got the mare to flee for his life. Brutus only hoped that he didn't make too much noise.

Brutus came back into town; the guard locked the door right after him and greeted him. Brutus came back for his room in the inn, where he cleaned his sword with another hunter's cloth.  
After that he placed his sword back in its sheath and undressed again, tired and satisfied he was lying in his bed, while not exactly happy. At least justice was done.

When Brutus woke up it was raining gently, the drops must have awaken him. He got up and dressed and while he was doing that he thought about everything that happened yesterday. He thought about going to the count's court and look for a job as a hunter for the count, anything that involves the outside, or just anything that does not include guard duty. That should be enough,  
Brutus packed up anything and cleaned the room, he still got about half a day to be in the room. Enough time to find a job.

As he got out of the inn he saw that the place pretty much cleaned up nicely since last night. Most hunters left with dawn and only the innkeeper and one barmaid sleeping in the corner. The innkeeper greeted him good morning and asked if he could get him a drink, (Where was he last night when he truly needed the drink? Brutus wondered) Brutus refused the drink, but he did buy some bread loaf and milk. That was enough for the morning.  
"That would be 13 septims" those words hurt his coin sack, who got emptied to a merely 5 septims, no more food for our hero it seems.  
He sat down and ate his meal. When he finished it the rain stopped and he got out of the inn. The smell of mountain winter was there in the streets. The clouds heavy and dark as a dunmer, the town silent and still asleep, He felt the strong winds blowing in the streets. Reminded him of home, but Brutus was in a hurry, he wanted to see the count this very morning, Or at least his steward. After all 5 septims aren't going to feed you more than a strawberry. And it wasn't even their season… he truly needed a job.  
Halfway to the castle Chorrol he noticed a strange character standing near its gate. Wearing a big brown bear cloak and a black silk hood, when he stumbled at the gate she approached him.

"Fool! What were you thinking? Or you were not thinking at all? Answer me!" it was the Breton lady from the day before, her voice filled with anger and tension. She was still very beautiful and had grace just like she did yesterday. "You know, you have a lot of courage to show up here, after you stole my pig legs and left me to die out there! Did you think I'll let you off the hook just like that? You messed with the wrong imperial you-"  
She silenced him with her tongue, at first he did not understand… a second later he noticed a man walking to the castle. When the man vanished she stopped and said "Look you little twat. I won the horse. Even though I cheated I am the one who won, I would have given you money later! But I couldn't find you anywhere… when I woke up the horse was gone! I could have only hoped that you didn't take it away. I thought that if you didn't do it then perhaps you will complain to the count or something like that, and looks like I was right.  
"I was not about to report to the count, nor to the captain of the guard. I was about to find a job. I thought I'd be able to win and sell the horse in the next town or perhaps in the imperial city. I'm still in need of a job thanks to you". He was still pretty shocked from that kiss… filled with passion, the Breton looked angry enough. But it looked like she realized that she had it coming. Before she opened her mouth again she thought for a couple of seconds, breathed deeply and then leaned to whisper in his ear." If you are still looking to clean the counts chamber pot then walk away and never approach me again, but if you are in it for the gold and glory enter the fighters guild hall in the town square where the big oak stands. I am a member and perhaps you will get some septims from helping me, help me with some of my tasks and I will forget completely about the horse incident. No need to tell the guards. Let us settle this between ourselves."  
And then she walked out of town and vanished. Brutus still confused from the kiss and the invitation to work for a fighter's guild hall. He felt as if he was dreaming. Now he didn't really know what to do with himself. So he came back to the inn and chatted a little with the innkeeper. After a while he bought with the rest of his septims a small apple and went back outside, he wanted to sit on the old stone benches by the great oak. To feel the winter and to get some idea of what will happen next, what will become of him?  
From that moment until dusk, Brutus sat on a bench next to the great oak of Chorrol. A tree famous all around the empire, the symbol of Chorrol, and a very relaxing place to hang around it seems. Although it was usually a bustling place in the town today it kept raining a little more than the priest said it will, so no one left his house. Brutus was there alone for most of the morning, and all the afternoon. After dusk he got up from the cold stone bench and thought one last time about her words" If you are in it for the money and the gold enter the fighter's guild hall in town" he whispered to himself. He thought about it all the afternoon, about the Breton lady, and about his father… He did not see him for merely two weeks and he already missed him.  
That was it. He decided to stand on both legs and walk into the guild hall. What could go wrong? Unless the Breton lady was laying her way out of him, which would mean that she is not even a member of the local guild hall, and that he spent the very last of his septims on an apple. He could only hope that she wasn't lying before. He was nervous and sweating... how could he be sweating on such a cold day? He was not even wearing that much he thought, which reminded him that the next thing he needs is a good fur coat or a new set of chainmail armor. With a fur hood and gloves… oh how he wanted fur clothes right now, or just a plain good armor for himself.

He stumbled into the fighter's guild hall. The hall was a big mansion made of stone and wood. It was here since the early third era, quite a site to see. Brutus knocked on the heavy door of the building, no one answered him. He kept knocking a couple of times until a skinny red haired- nord opened the door for him. "What is it Maggot?" the nord barked at him. He seemed pretty drunk to Brutus who knew better than to mess with drunken nords. (At moments like that he was glad to be raised at Bruma, despite the harsh cold, snow, and the many other Bruma troubles)  
"I came for… you see… a Breton that works in this guild hall told me to come seek her, she said she will give me a job". The drunken nord barely heard him and only started to mumble at him. And then he uttered a word or two. "Recruitment, goes' in hall" and sat on a big chair that was next to him, Brutus got inside and closed the door behind him. When he stepped in not more than one step, a certain short curly Breton approached him." Thank the gods I thought you got lost. What took you so long? Never mind, you are now coming with me upstairs to meet the acting guild master. I told him that a friend of mine will be coming to work with me and he asked to see you for himself. Perhaps he is going to make you run errands or something. Just be thankful if he accepts you to the guild".  
While they were climbing up the stairs it occurred to him that he did not know her name… she cannot remain the exotic Breton forever, so he asked her for her name "Name's Elona. Get used to that because Arthur thinks were old childhood friends."  
"Elona… what an interesting woman" He wondered, "Wait whose Arthur?"  
She smiled at him. "Looks like your about to find out"  
as they both ascended into a door going into the connected guild tower. Brutus prepared himself for whatever will happen in this journey. It was all going in the right direction for now, his next adventures seemed to be brewing right under his nose, and just for once. He had a chance to prove himself to everyone. To those who did not meet him, to those back home who wanted to see him rise, to those who want to see him fail, to the entirety of the third empire, maybe even to all of tamriel! For him that very moment before Elona opened the door to the tower was the moment before it all starts. There's no way back now, not that he wanted to back down. He finally got a chance to prove his skill and ambition. He knew that, he was nervous now. But it didn't matter as he was just happy to get a chance. An opportunity and that was way better than any horse, although a horse could have helped a lot…


End file.
